Mangalitsa - Berkshire Piglets

Three Little Pigs

Three of Link's piglets came over to Orcas from Horsedrawn Farm on Lopez Island yesterday.  Two barrows and one gilt.  They are almost two months old to the day.  Very frisky and quite cute.  Link seemed ready to move on from her litter, as they had all been weaned and were investigating the farm.  Catherine really likes to give the piglets 8 weeks with the sow, which can be hard on the sow, but Link really looked great.  Typically factory farms wean piglets at 3 weeks and start them on antibiotics, as they tend to get sick when pulled from their mother too quickly.  The other four piglets will remain on Lopez, with two different families who wanted to raise pigs with Mangalitsa genetics.

Because they are half Berkshire and half Mangalitsa, we may breed the gilt back to a pure Mangalitsa, which would yield 3/4 Mangalitsa, providing most of the characteristics of pure Mangalitsa with faster growth.  After a snack of Mangalitsa Coppa, Salami and Speck, we headed back to Orcas Island on the ferry.
Anyone who wants to drop by the Inn to see them is welcome.